The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-01
BILL ARP.

willing for company A house where the
nabors who where passing, or passel OF
hunters or stray preacher, or the law
yers who went from court 10 court on the
circuit could say, it is about dinner-time
let's drive up to Col. Jackson's and get
something to eat and drink Of good
peach brandy to wash it down. 1t was
all the came if they happened in about
nightfall and stayed all night. The old
aristocracy of Georgia always gave a
welcome 10 visitors, especially if they
we're gentlemen and behaved themselves,
and nobody ever thought of such a thing
as Offering to pay. 1t was all hospitality
why, howdy do ! howdy do light and
come in-here Jack, here Virgil, come
round here, Jack, quick and take these
horses-put 'em up and feed 'em and
tend to 'em right-do you hear?' 'Ycs,
Massa, l tens to 'em, Shore was the re.
ply, and that darkey grinned, for be knew
he was sure CT dime, if not more, when
the gentlemen left.
used to keep open house, that is to
say, begun to invite most anybody and
everybody who came along to stop over
and dine or stay all night, and it vas get.
ting quite common for them to accept,
and when I heard of an old friend or q
distinguished gentleman arriving in the
town, called on him at The hotel and
invited him up. You see was young
and ambitious, and was looking forward
to some high Office as an ornament, and
we had plenty of niggers and good
cook and house servants, and besides all
that, I had q pretty wife and she was
smart, and our children were pretty too,
and we'll beha, ed, and was proud Of the
whole concern.
But somehow or some other how, Mrs.
Arp didn't Ike the business. The chill
were devoted to me, aud my custom was
to play with 'em and teach 'em and un.
dress 'em and bathe 'em and put 'em to
bed, and she wanted mo about anyhow,
aud dident enjoy my enjoyment when I
was sitting up in the parlor smoking, and
talking politics with folks she didn't ap.
prcciate. So, accordingly, Iquit in order
to promote domestic peace and tranquil
ty. If my wife had been called on to
make her own answer to the catechism,
'What is the chief end of man q she
would have said mans chief end is to
love his wife and take care of his chill.
dren,' that is, of her children, for they are
hers, and no mistake.
But most all of the old time folks kept
open house, and those who are able,
keep it now-Bob Toombs kept it, and
Alex Stephens kept it as long as he lived.
Under the new order of things it can't be
done generally now, for niggers amt
niggers any more, and cooks are scarce
and very particular. They are not going
to kill another chicken every half hour.
Uncle Jack Mckinney was very hospi.
table man and was always inviting his
friends about town to come out and see
him. But they dident go much, for he
was rough old fellow and had no girls
and no piano but hosts of niggers and
hogs and mules and dogs and much like.
One pleasant evening the young men
concluded to see how far they could
strain Uncle Jacks hospitality, SO couple
of them rode out in advance of the crowd,
and Uncle Jack hurried oat to the gate
and seemed delighted to see 'em. Light
said he, Light, git down and come in
Pm powerful glad to see you-come in,
come in ! Here Dick Dick come here,
you black rascal, and take these horses !;
| carry 'em round to the lot and feed 'em.
Walk in gentlemen-come right along
After seating them on the big piazza, he
went out to the back door and called
Sally. Sally be said, there's company
come and you must kill couple of them
chickens for supper.
About the time he was seated with his
guests, another couple rode up, and the
old man went out with little less alac-
rity, but called Dick to take their horses
and shortly, after he called his cook and
said, Sally, Ireckon you will have to kill
another chicken When the third
couple arrived the old mans gush had
weakened. 'Howdy do said he, git
down and come in. Just hitch your nags
to the fence-I reckon they'll stand.' Re.
turning to Sally. he said, Sally, it never
rains but it pours. I reckon you'll have
to kill another-well, yes another chick.
ems; mighty little one, Sally. Lord
help us and forgive us our SINS By and
by and the rest of the company came,
and when they inquired after his health
he said he wasent we'll at all, and the old
oman was mighty puny.' My good
father used to keep open house, for he
was merchant and had lots of good Gus.
toners, and they used to come to town to
trade and buy lots of goods for their fam.
lilies and their niggers, and would stay all
night and my mother was mighty kind to
'em, and fixed up the best table she
could. But my father concluded to run
for an Office, County Judge, and the
man be was running against was mighty
smart and shifty and SO they both were
entertaining everybody and anybody
and the day before the election there
were about thirty to entertain at my
mothers table, and most of 'em were
yagabonds Of the neghborhood, and they
eat and eat, and my poor mother could
not cook enough for 'em and at last
when one fellow sent up his cup for more
coffee the seventh time, my indignant
mother said, NO, sir, there's no more
coffee for you-you shall not make hog